Ricks Rain
by JSCOTT73
Summary: What if Rick discovered his feelings for Lisa Hayes that rainy night. What would happen to the rest of the story. Here's what I think.
1. Chapter 1

Rick's Rain

Authors Introduction

One day after watching the episode "A Rainy Night" for the umpteenth time an idea came into being. What if they had actually figured out what they felt for each other that evening and how would that event affect the rest of the story. Therefore, Rick's rain was born.

Chapter 1

Why did I come here? I know she's inside, Claudia told me so. Well it's too late to back out now. I guess I'll knock.

There's no answer; maybe they didn't hear me. "Come on its pouring out here!" I'll be lucky if I don't catch a death or cold standing in the rain like this.

Finally, someone is coming to the door. It's her! Why is my heart pounding? She looks like a drowned rat but then again so do I. All is forgotten when I notice her beautiful green eyes.

She takes my arm and we stroll back out into the rain, this time under an umbrella. We hardly say a word. The silence is awkward, what should I say? I don't know. My mind is blank. All I think about are her eyes, how wonderful it feels to have her holding my arm. It just feels right.

"I enjoy walking . . . at night," she says breaking the silence. Hoping perhaps the idle banter will help us both come to grips with what we are feeling. Together, but still alone, neither of us willing to admit to each other what it is between us. Is it love? I don't know, I think I have experienced love before, or was it just an infatuation. All I know is that I have never felt this way before. It's wonderful and frightening at the same time.

We continue walking and chatting however, it's late and it's raining. Where can we go? We can't stay out in the rain all night.

"My place isn't far from here, but I'm afraid I have nothing to offer," I say hoping that she will make a better suggestion.

"That sounds wonderful, and I have just the thing right here," she says while holding up a small tin of tea. Amazing, is this woman prepared for everything!

We walked towards my cottage holding hands. This woman, my superior officer, and the person I see day-in and day-out who guides me to and through trouble, wants to be with me. I feel like I'm flying, what has come over me. After the fights, we have had and how much of jerk I have been, I'm surprised that she would even look at me let alone talk to me. Nevertheless, here she is holding MY hand and smiling at me as we are walking to my place to have tea!

"Rick", she says, "Rick", a little louder, "isn't that your place there?"

I was so lost in my thoughts that I almost passed by my own house. We walk up to the door, by now my hands are shaking from the cold and the unfamiliar feelings and emotions. I fumble with the key trying put it in the lock and drop it. We both bend down to get it. We bump heads and fall onto our rumps. With a startled look, we laugh at each other. I grab the key and then we help each other up, pulling each other close.

I wrapped my arm around her waist for support. I could smell her perfume and the faint odor of wine on her breath. I look down at her and her up at me and our eyes lock. I could feel myself falling into the deep pools of emerald green staring back at me. Then our lips touch, ever so gently, neither one of us knew that this was going to happen, neither one of us wanting to rush for fear we may break the spell. We melt into each other, holding each other, breathing each other in. After several moments, we reluctantly pull apart. We weren't feeling the cold but we knew we ought to go inside.

While I went searching for clean towels and a change of clothes, Lisa prepared the tea. I changed into some sweats and brought Lisa my terry cloth robe. She gave a questioning look,

"Your clothes are soaked" I said, "Go take them off and put this on so I can dry them" she still had a look of suspicion so I added "don't worry I will be a perfect gentleman". She smiled at that, took the robe and skipped (yes, skipped) to the bathroom to change.

I took the teapot, two cups along with some sugar cookies I had found in the cupboard to the living room on a tray. Even though I don't have much, I can at least be an accommodating host. Lisa was in the bathroom for a long time it seemed so I went and tapped on the door.

"I'll be out in just a minute," she yells and just as I turn from the door, I am hit in the back of the head with a pile of wet clothes. "Oh, I'm sorry" she says with a giggle, "I didn't see you there"

"Yeah, right" I reply and grin. She laughs again.

"You have a wonderful smile" she say's "I wish I could see it more often"; "Well we'll just have to work on that won't we". Now I'm smiling from ear to ear.

I pick up the clothes from the floor and put them in the dryer. Meanwhile Lisa makes herself comfortable on the couch. I fetch a blanket from the linen closet and toss it to her. She snuggles up in the blanket and robe as I hand her a cup of hot tea.

"This is what I really needed," she says with sigh "a good laugh, good tea and good company". I hope she is referring to me with the latter part of the statement.

We sit in silence for several moments sipping our tea, contemplating what happened in the doorway, neither one of us knowing what to say. I had to break the silence.

"Lisa," I said ", I want you to know that you are very special to me. I want to know more about you. I feel a connection with you that I can't explain".

She looked like she was expecting more but I honestly didn't know what else to say, I just didn't have the guts to say it. My heart was telling me too but my brain was still stuck in first gear, stuck with Minmei.

After a long sip of tea, she said, "I feel the same way; you are special to me too. I just wish we didn't have so many fights".

"I'm sorry about that," I said apologetically, "I guess we just know how to push each others buttons don't we".

She nodded her head in agreement with a slight smile and giggle and said, "Maybe we need to learn to push different buttons" followed with a wink. I wasn't sure what to make of that, we had a moment there at the door but I was surprised by it and I was assuming that the alcohol was having some effect on her then but not now.

So, I took a chance, leaning toward her I asked, "What buttons would that be Ms. Hayes".

She leaned forward, took my hand, "one thing at a time Rick Hunter", and gave my hand squeeze.

She saddled closer to me and laid her head on my shoulder, her soft, long hair falling over my chest.

"I just want to sit here and enjoy," she said, interlacing her fingers with mine. We sat back on the couch. I put my arm around her and she snuggled against me and deeper into the blanket. It was nice to have her next to me it felt like she belonged there.

We talked for hours, reminiscing about life, families, the future; we lost track of time, laughing, crying, sipping tea, and munching on cookies. I told her things that I had never told anyone, my heart wanted to share with her. I believe she did the same. I learned more about her, and myself; then I would have ever imagined.

We had both lost so much in our lives because of war; we were both hurting so much. This night was a good start on the healing. It was obvious that we needed each other. Why hadn't I ever realized that before? She was human and had needs, wants and desires. She had a hard exterior, primed with military tradition and protocol, but she was vulnerable. Her heart was wounded and so was mine. Are we meant to be together? What about Minmie? She still occupies a special place in my heart. Why? I don't know. I haven't seen or heard from her in over a year. She is too busy with her career I guess.

I notice that Lisa has stopped talking and moved her head to my lap, looking up at me. She is so beautiful; why did I not see it before?

"What are you thinking about" she says with an inquisitive tone.

"Oh, nothing" I sigh.

"Now I know better then that" she say's with a grin.

"Well, if you must know, I was thinking just how beautiful you are" I say in a matter of fact tone. She immediately blushes, only enhancing her beauty.

"What's a matter?" I say. "Hasn't anyone ever said that to you before?"

"They have" she say's distantly and turning her head to look out into the room, "but it has been a very long time".

I brush her hair back revealing her ear and delicate jaw line. I spy a tear rolling down her face and reach down to wipe it away. She turns her head back towards smiles and me.

"You really think I'm beautiful?" she asks.

"Yes, I do" I reply.

She rises up and wraps her arms around my neck as if to say thank you. As we sit there, holding each other, I feel my neck getting wet with tears and I hold her a little tighter. She starts to sob, all the pain and anguish from her life is pouring out though her tears. I rock her gently, as you would a child, just letting her weep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Dawn is coming; the faint glimmer of light from the east can be seen through the windows. Had we really talked that long?

"Lisa," I ask ", don't you have to be at work in a few hours?"

She looks over at the clock on the wall; it says 5:30 am in bold numbers.

"Oh, that's O.K." she says and smiles, "May I use your phone?"

I hand her the receiver, she tells me to dial the command center.

"This is Captain Hayes" she says in an official sounding tone, "I won't be in today, I will be reviewing personnel records for the SDF-2 and I wish to not be disturbed" . . . "very well, I should be in tomorrow".

She hands me the receiver and stifles a giggle. Once I hang it up, she laughs and says, "I guess this could count as a review of personnel records". I shake my head in awe.

She stands up to stretch and the blanket falls to the floor. I notice that her robe was no longer tied in the front and I catch a fleeting glimpse of a very attractive and athletic body underneath. She turns and walks to the kitchen humming. She doesn't bother closing the robe, either she didn't notice, or she is trying to tease me. If it's the latter, it's working.

She starts rummaging through the kitchen looking for something to make for breakfast. This feels so familiar, like this is how it is supposed to be. Why is that? I have to admit that ever since I was in the hospital I haven't felt right. As if I was missing, something or rather had missed something. I still have flash backs of those dreams, but as time passes they come less often.

I smell coffee brewing. "Here we go" I hear from the kitchen. Lisa had found my stash of bagels in the breadbox. She brings them out smiling, with some butter and cream cheese. She still hasn't closed her robe completely. The sight of her is stunning. I can't take my eyes off her. She busies herself preparing a bagel for me.

"Do you want butter or cream cheese?" she asks.

I stutter and say, "Ah you, I mean cream cheese please".

She notices my stutter, blushes and pulls her robe a little more closed then it had been, but not much. By now, the coffee is ready, I get up to get a cup, and she stops me and says,

"I'll get it; do you want cream and sugar?"

"No" I reply", black is fine".

I sit back and take in my surroundings. Is this what it is like? Is this what it is like to be happy? Everything seems so right, having her here feels so perfect. Why have I not seen this before? I know the answer to the question, am I ready to face it. Reality is I was never in love with Minmie. In fact, she has been an obstacle to me for years. I think this is love or at least this is what it is supposed to be. The unquestionable urge to serve, protect, and care for someone else, putting them before you, having the desire to make them happy no matter the cost, and understanding them even when they don't understand themselves. Now the question is do I have the courage to say it! Do I take a chance on my heart being crushed? Well, you will never know until you do Rick Hunter. I come out of my trance when I hear a coffee cup clink on the table in front of me. Lisa is sitting next to me with a sparkle in her eyes,

"What's on your mind?" she asks.

My heart pounds, my palms start to sweat and I suddenly find it hard to breathe.

"Oh, nothing" I reply.

She raises an eyebrow, she knows I'm lying but doesn't say a word. I try to pick up my coffee cup but my hands are shaking too much and I quickly set it back down. If she doesn't suspect something now than she never will. However, Lisa is an incredibly sharp women and I know she is aware of my inner turmoil.

"I think I know what is bothering you," she says in confirmation. "You feel the same as I do," she says sympathetically. "You're wondering where we go from here."

I nod my head in agreement; unable to speak for fear that I may utter and complete non-sense. She is so beautiful, so sure of herself but so vulnerable at the same time. She shared something special with me, her soul.

"Lisa", "Rick", we say together.

She blushes and gestures for me to go ahead.

"Lisa," I say timidly, "I love you".

Her mouth drops and tears begin to well in her eyes, mine too. She seems speechless so I continue.

"I feel like our souls have been looking for each other for a long time and now we have finally found each other".

She tries to compose herself and tries to speak but cannot. She starts to weep, I try to take her hand, but she throws her arms around me crying.

I hear her whisper in my ear "I love you too, with all my heart and soul".

I whisper back "I had ignored it for so long, but after tonight, I no longer can".

We sit there in the early morning light, holding each other, weeping, realizing that the love of our lives had been at arms reach for so long.

After finishing breakfast, I went a pulled the clothes out of the dryer. Lisa was busy cleaning up the kitchen humming happily. It was wonderful hearing her; she really does have a good voice. I walk into the kitchen with her freshly dried clothes. She didn't hear me so I set them down, sneak up behind her, and wrap my arms around her, startling her just a little. She soon realizes that I'm the only other one in the house and relaxes. She turns around in my arms to face me.

"I love you Lisa Hayes," I say, for some reason I can't say it enough.

"I love you too Rick Hunter" she says and rises up on her toes and kisses me.

It's soft, and warm, full of feeling and . . . love. I had kissed other girls, I had even kissed her before, but this kiss had understanding behind it. Even our kiss last night didn't have as much passion behind it. Our hands begin searching and feeling; we pull back for a moment. Her robe falls to the floor but I am lost in her eyes. She grabs my hand and leads me to the bedroom.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The phone rings waking me, I answer it. I look at the clock, its 4:00 pm. It's Claudia, looking for Lisa and since she couldn't find her at home and Lisa had called into work she assumed she was here. Lisa had her arms wrapped around me with her head on my shoulder, sleeping.

"Lisa . . . Lisa", I said gently.

She looked up at me with her big emerald eyes and smiled.

"It's Claudia," I whisper in her ear. She sleepily reaches for the phone "Yes", she says groggily. I hear Claudia asking where she has been all day, Lisa retorts, "Where do you think?" I hear, "Oh!" from the phone.

"Well, I was wondering if you would like to join me for dinner. Of course Rick is invited too".

"That would be nice, what time?" Lisa responds.

"How bout' my place, 8:00, that should give you two time to freshen up".

She hangs up the phone but before she does you can hear Claudia giggle in the background. Lisa reaches over me and puts the receiver up. She then collapses onto my chest and wraps her arms and legs around me, she then looks up into my eyes. There is passion on her face, and love. No, more than that, contentment, if she were a cat she would be purring.

"I guess that means we have to get up?" I ask.

"Not just yet." she says with a coy look and begins kissing me again.

The alarm goes off at 6:00 pm. I set it after the phone call to ensure we were prepared to go out for the evening. I roll over to wake Lisa but she is up already. I hear the shower shut off. When did she get up? I ask myself and hear the bathroom door open. Lisa steps out but doesn't notice I'm awake. I get a chance to admire her beauty again, long, lean, athletic, she obviously works out, but she is still soft and supple with gentle curves. She is stunning! I can't help but smile. That's when she notices my stare and covers herself. She blushes again and says.

"I'm sorry; I didn't realize you were awake".

"That's O.K.," I say, grinning, "I would be a very happy man if I could wake up to that every morning".

She blushes even more and says, "Well, it isn't morning it's 6:00 in the evening and we have a dinner date". That's Lisa; she always knows how to get to the point.

I crawl out of bed not bothering to cover myself; I figured I got to see hers she could see mine. Of course, I know I'm getting the better part of the deal. She gasps and I look over at her. She is staring at my scar. I had told her about it but the reality of it must have just sunk in. I received it when I was a kid from the surgery to mend my leg. It still hurts to think about the accident. It was my first plane crash and I had hoped my last.

One day, while performing in the flying circus, I was in the middle of an outside loop. Near the bottom of the loop, I notice another plane had moved onto the runway, it was excessively early.

My routine was only half over! What is he doing! Get out of the way!

But it was too late. I banked my plane to avoid his. His wing ripped into my plane as I flew by at 200mph, catching my right leg as it went through, smashing it, practically severing it from my body, I never felt it. By now, I was spinning out of control. His plane exploded, killing the pilot instantly, I wasn't so lucky. I was tumbling end over end but side ways, right toward the crowded infield. There was nothing I could do. To be honest I didn't know which way was up. I blacked out. The last thing I remember was the face of a little boy. I don't know if he was injured or not. I woke up in the hospital, my leg in traction; they had reattached my leg and had set pins in it to help hold the whole thing together. I was told that I would never fly again but I would prove them wrong. I was back at the circus, performing, with-in a year. I later learned that Roy was the one who pulled me out of the wreckage. He saved my life but he never mentioned it to me. I think that is part of the reason he left the circus. He knew that even though people died in the service; he at least knew what the risks were and he would be serving the greater good.

I hurried myself to the bathroom and crawled into the shower. I could still smell Lisa's perfume lingering in the air; it was wonderful, not too sweet but refreshing and flowery. I let the warm water run over my body, I ached, it had been a long time since I had pulled an all-nighter and even longer since I had one this intense. I quickly finish up because we still had to go to Lisa's so she could get a change of clothes.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

We arrive at Claudia's at 7:55. Lisa had picked out a very nice formfitting dress and I wore a polo shirt, jacket, and slacks. Lisa's dress matched her eyes, which made them look as if they glowed. She was radiant, and she had an air about her that I had never seen before. I knock on the door; Claudia opens it.

"You guys didn't have to dress up for me!" she said surprised.

"Well the last 24 hours have been full of surprises" Lisa retorted, "We didn't want you to feel left out!" and she giggles. Claudia laughed as well and winked an acknowledgment.

Claudia had made her famous Pineapple Salad along with Chicken Parmesan and Pasta. I was surprised that Claudia had fixed the Pineapple Salad, it was Roy's favorite dish, and Claudia hadn't made it since he passed away. She spied the look in my eyes and volunteered

"I made it because this is a special occasion, you two have finally figured out you love each other, even though the whole universe knew it before you".

Lisa and I both blushed at the snipe, but it was true, we were just too stubborn to see it. I took Lisa's hand and moved towards the table.

"Not so fast" Claudia chided. "You two are early, there are still more guests to arrive".

Lisa and I looked at each other and sighed. We had both hoped that this would be a quite dinner with Claudia but she obviously had different ideas. We went and sat down on one of Claudia's two big couches. Despite the fact that we were uncomfortable with the surprise of "other guests", we were just happy to be with each other, no matter where it was. Soon the doorbell rang, Claudia answered; it was Admiral Gloval! Lisa and I stood straight up, almost knocking over the coffee table. Boy, this was a surprise.

"Please sit down, relax" he said in his thick Russian accent", so Captain, how is the review of the personnel records coming along",

He said with a wink and a smile. Lisa blushed; it was unlike her to shirk off her duties but he would let it slide this one time. He took a seat across from us. He had taken the roll of father figure for Lisa and most of the bridge crew since the return to earth so it was fitting that he was here. He looked at us and gave an approving smile. We sat and made small talk while Claudia busied herself in the kitchen finishing off her dinner preparations. The doorbell rings again, now who in the world could that be, I wonder. It was Max and Miriya. Max was in a suite and Miriya, a formal gown. Miriya saw my surprise and said,

"You two have finally found love and this is something to be celebrated. Max said that it wasn't necessary but I insisted; this is a momentous occasion".

Again Lisa and I blush, was our finally getting together such a big deal? Lisa and I both think of all these people as family so perhaps it is.

"Dinners ready" came a voice from the dinning area. We all sat and ate hungrily. Once the meal was over, we all retired to the living room. Claudia opened a bottle of wine to let it breathe and placed it on ice. We sat, drank wine, and talked about what had happened over the last two days. We found out how fast the rumors had spread through the entire command after Lisa's 5:30 am phone call. Apparently they had ranged from near the truth to we had eloped and were planning to spend our honeymoon near the rings of Saturn.

Everyone was happy for us and was slightly relieved that the drama of Rick and Lisa was finally over. It was getting late, I had flight duty tomorrow as did Lisa; we said our good byes and headed home. To which home shall we go? Almost as if she knew what I was, thinking Lisa said,

"Let's go to my place tonight, O.K.?"

I nodded my head in agreement. It was nearing midnight now, the stars were out, the temperature wasn't bad, and we were enjoying each other's company. I wrapped my arm around her waist and hers around mine. We walked in step without even knowing it. We took the long way to Lisa's house. We both knew what tomorrow would bring but for now, we were quite happy being lost in each other.

Walking up to her door, I stop, she turns and looks at me as if to say, its o.k. My heart was racing. I truly do love this woman. I know that now, she is the only woman that I will ever love. I pull her close to me and give her a hug. She has a look of concern on her face now.

"Everything is going to be o.k." I say to reassure her.

I look around, the stars are out, the moon is full, and the fountain in the park across the street is lit. A wonderful idea springs into my head

"Wait for me here!" I tell her. She has a puzzled look on her face. "Trust me!" I shout as I sprint for my house.

When I get there I fly through the door, did I lock it when we left? I don't know, but who cares. I go to my safe in the back room. My fingers can't work the lock fast enough. Finally it opens, inside is the only thing that I had recovered from my parents home after the war. A small black box, my father had kept it all those years. I guess he never really let her go. I slam the door to the safe. I stand there long enough to ensure that it locked. I sprint out the door, not caring if I had shut it or not. I couldn't get there any faster then if I had flown Skull 1. My spirit was flying. The entire Zentraedi fleet couldn't have stopped me. I rounded the corner to Lisa's; she was still standing there, wondering if I had lost my mind. Perhaps I had but that didn't matter now. She sees me running toward her, and even from a distance; I see her face light up. I stop short and walk up to her slowly so that I can catch my breath. I take her by the hand and walk her over to the fountain. By now she is wondering what is going on? I drop to one knee, she gasps as I pull out the little black box I had been hiding. I open it; it's my mother's engagement ring. Father had kept it after mother passed away. Then I ask the one question that every bachelor fears and every woman hopes for,

"Lisa, Will you marry me?"

She stands there in silence staring at the ring and me. Tears start flowing down her cheeks. I don't know what to say, I just stare back into those beautiful emerald green eyes. Then she smiles and picks up the ring. She slides it onto her finger; it's a perfect fit!

"Yes!" she says "yes! You wonderful man, I love you and I can't imagine my life with anyone else, yes! I'll marry you"

I stand up and we kiss each other for what seems like an eternity. There is nothing else in the universe but us. This woman is my world, my life and now I get to share it with her.

We walk to her house and go inside. She makes another call to the command center. In an official voice

"This is Captain Hayes, Captain Rick Hunter and I will not be in tomorrow, we have just become engaged to be married".

With that, she hangs up the phone, "let's see how many rumors start with that call", she says with a smile. Tomorrow was another day but it was certainly going to be different.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

We woke to someone knocking on the door.

"Who could that be at this hour?" Lisa grumbles.

Whoever it was they weren't going to stop until we answer or until the door comes off its hinges.

"Honey, could you get it?" Lisa asks.

That's different; I've never been called "honey" before. I kind of like it. I stumble out of bed and wrap myself with a sheet glancing at the clock as I go. It's 5:00 am.

"Stop pounding will you! I'm coming" yelling at whoever it is trying to knock the door down.

The knocking stops, good, they heard me. I open the door; a very startled Corporal Tanner was standing at the door.

"Oh! Excuse me sir, I must have the wrong house, I was looking for Captain Hayes", she says looking down at her shoes.

"No, you have the right house but she is sleeping. May I help you corporal?" I reply with a tone of annoyance.

"Well sir, Admiral Gloval has requested both of you to be in his office in 1 hour," the corporal timidly stammers.

"Both of us?" I ask.

"Yes sir, Sergeant Allen is on his way to your house as we speak" she replies with a little more confidence.

Confused I ask, "Why didn't they just call?"

She squirms a little and replies, "Sir, I'm not sure but I heard that they tried but you wouldn't answer the phone. The answer is obvious why you didn't answer yours but Captain Hayes".

I cut her off "Go tell the Admiral that WE will be there in 45 minutes and get a hold of Sergeant Allen and tell him to make sure my front door is shut and locked" adding the last after I remember that it was probably wide open.

The young corporal runs off, moving her legs as fast as they can go.

I close the door and shake my head; she couldn't have been over the age of 15. The average age of the military had dropped considerably after the war. Dolza's rain of death had taken out all but a few of the more "experienced personnel" and as a result, to bolster our numbers, we had taken to recruiting much younger people then in years past.

"Who was that, dear?" I hear her soft voice from behind me.

I turn around and smile, even at this early hour she is the most beautiful woman in the world.

"It was Corporal Tanner. Apparently our presence has been requested by Admiral Gloval which, by the way, you didn't hear the phone ring did you?" in reply to her question.

She gets a puzzled look on her face then smiles and blushes.

"I turned the ringer off when we went to bed," she says with a laugh.

Then her mood turns serious "I wonder what they want at this early hour, we had better hurry" she says quickly and disappears into the bedroom to change into her uniform.

I grab the suit I wore the night before and hurriedly put it on. Fortunately, I had a spare uniform and flight suit in my office at head quarters; I would stop by there on the way to the Admiral. About the time I had put my shoes on Lisa came running out of the bedroom ready to go.

"Aren't you ready yet?" she says seemingly annoyed.

"I'm ready" I reply "but I need to stop by my office first."

She scowled at that but grabbed my hand and we flew out the door. We get to my office and I change into my uniform in record time, then we made our way to the Admirals office located on the SDF-1. Lisa knocked on the door at exactly 5:45.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Please come in", the baritone voice of Admiral Gloval came through the door. Lisa and I open the door and step in.

"Captains Hunter and Hayes reporting as ordered sir," I say with the most official tone I can make.

"At ease Captain's, please sit down," he says gesturing towards the two chairs in front of his desk.

We sit and he continues, "you are probably wondering why I summoned you here at such an early hour, which, by the way, congratulations on your engagement, that was rather sudden but it's about time the two of you found some happiness".

Lisa reaches out and grabs my hand at the remark.

"Anyway, to the business at hand," the Admirals face turns his attention toward me. "I'm quite sure that you and Lisa are aware that the SDF-2 is nearing completion, but a captain has yet to be named; . . . Rick, in light of the situation between you and Lisa I have come to a decision as to whom that person shall be."

Lisa and I look at each other wondering, what it this decision and would it mean our separation. Reading our expressions Admiral Gloval intercedes,

"I have chosen Captain Hayes to command the SDF-2 and I want you, Captain Hunter, to command all military operations associated with its mission".

He pauses, I'm speechless, Lisa has command of her own ship, and now I am essentially in charge of an entire fleet. I look at Lisa and she is beaming, this has been a dream of hers for a long time and now it is coming true. Gloval continues,

"There is a caveat to this arrangement however", we look at him questioning what that might be; "Lisa has overall command of the mission".

We nod our heads in agreement. This would mean that although I command all military operations, she would still have overriding authority. Then the Admiral sits back in his chair and waits for what he has said to sink in.

Lisa and I are in complete shock, we knew that they would be naming a commanding officer soon but had no idea that either one of us would be involved let alone both of us. Lisa had been tasked earlier to go over the records of those that had already been assigned to the SDF-2 project to screen for people that were capable of having families. Those that didn't fit that profile were being quietly reassigned. We knew that this mission was going to be a generational trip but we didn't know where it was going. Lisa was the first to speak,

"Sir, now that I'm officially in charge of this mission, may I ask what it is we are doing?"

"Certainly Lisa," He responds. "Your mission is to find the home of the Robotech Masters, wherever that may be, and prevent another catastrophe such as the one we already suffered . . . you must find them, it's humanities only chance. The earth cannot sustain another assault."

Lisa nodded her head in acceptance; I just sat there with my mouth open. This mission would be the most important thing I will ever do in my life. All of humanity would be depending on us. It was overwhelming.

"Well", Gloval interjected, "do you accept the mission?"

Lisa looked at me with her emerald eyes, pleading for me to say yes. How could I let her down, how could I live without her? I would fly to a million stars and beyond if it meant I could be with her. I nod my head and I feel Lisa squeeze my hand in approval.

"Very well then", proceeded the Admiral "you two have plans to make, you will be leaving in 60 days and I plan on giving away the bride," he said with a wink and a smile. "You are dismissed"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Lisa was promoted to Commandant and I was promoted to Rear Admiral (essentially the same rank but with differing responsibilities. A Commandant is a Rear Admiral but they are in charge of an entire fleet and its mission). The following weeks flew by. Arrangements had to be made, for both the wedding and the impending departure of the SDF-2. I looked after of the SDF-2 while Lisa took care of the "more important matters".

The entire city of New Macross seemed to be involved. Even Minmei was getting in on the act. That was an adventure in and of it. When Minmei found out that Lisa and I were engaged she went ballistic. It was 2 weeks after our announcement. Apparently, Minmei was in New Detroit performing. She and Lynn Kyle held a press conference and one of the reporters asked how she felt about her ex-boyfriend announcing he was getting married and that it wasn't to her. She ended the press conference right then and there. She just turned her back to everyone and walked away. When Kyle tried to stop her, she laid him out with a surprise upper cut. She was in New Macross that afternoon and made a beeline for my house. Fortunately, Lisa and I weren't there, at the time we were at the wedding planners. Minmei, in frustration, beat on my door until her hands bled. Base security watched the whole thing. They had been asked to keep an eye on Lisa's and my places by Admiral Gloval. He was concerned that there might be trouble; with the mission so close at hand and with all that we had to do to prepare, but I doubt he counted on Minmei being the cause of that trouble. When Minmei started to throw rocks at the door, they came and detained her.

At about 15:30 my wrist comm. went off. It was base security. They needed to see me right away. I had no idea as to why at the time. I excused myself and gave Lisa a quick peck on the cheek. She turned, smiled, and then went back to discussing something about what color the tablecloths should be. To be honest I was happy to get out of there, not that I didn't care, I'm just a lot simpler then that. Of course, if things had been left to me the guests would have had milk crates to sit on, that's if a reception had even been planned. No, it's best that Lisa handle that.

I made my way to the Provosts office near the SDF-1. When I arrive the receptionist, Corporal Tanner, snapped to attention, knocking over a big stack of papers she was sorting. "At ease corporal", I say with a smile. Obviously flustered she immediately started picking up the paper work, muttering to herself about having to start all over.

"Ah, corporal," I ask "I was called down here by Lieutenant Marks can you tell me where he is?"

"Yes sir," she stammers out, "he is in his office just down the hall".

She goes back to picking up the papers. I walk to the Lieutenants office wondering what the hell is going on. Lieutenant Marks is busy reading a report and doesn't notice me enter. I stand there for a moment waiting to see if he will react. After a few more moments, I clear my throat, which startles him out of his trance. He looks up, realizes whom I am and why I'm there, and stands up to salute. I cut him off

"Lieutenant, I have an extremely busy schedule, this had better be important!"

His face turns red and stutters "yes sir come with me please."

We walk through a security door and back to the detainment cells. I see a lone female figure, huddled in the corner, quivering, bandages wrapped around her hands and a mass of black unkempt hair.

"Do you know this woman Admiral?" the Lieutenant asks.

"I don't know", I reply.

The woman's head rises at the sound of my voice, and then she stands up, slowly, but still facing the corner. She smoothes her hair, wipes her face and takes big breath. She then turns around; her head lowered, and walks towards the cell door. It's Minmei! How did she get into this mess? I turn to the Lieutenant,

"Yes, I do, could you leave us alone for a moment please?" He agrees and exits the cellblock.

Minmei finally looks up at me. I can tell that she has been crying, crying so much that she couldn't cry anymore.

"Rick is it true?" she says in a tone of childish hurt.

"Is what true?" I reply.

"Are you getting married to Lisa, do you even love her! You are supposed to love me!" she says all at once.

I step back at her statement. I feel my face burn and my anger swell. I haven't heard from her in over a year. Not even a card or letter, nothing! Now that I have finally found someone who really cares for me and loves me for who I am, she has the gall to be mad at me! I want to scream and shout at her but that would only make the situation worse. If I have learned, anything from being with Lisa is that very fact, think things through, before you act.

I start to regain my composure, the anger turns into pity and sadness.

"We had something at one time Minmei, a long time ago, but you have your career and I have mine. I'm a pilot and you're a singer. We are of different worlds Minmie. You will always have a special place in my heart but I love Lisa and she loves me, my future is with her. You will always be the little sister I never had, but I'm afraid that it can never be anything more then that".

"I guess I always knew that" she responds, "I knew that you really loved Lisa and had for a long time. I just wasn't willing to accept it".

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. She knew when I didn't? I watch her smile come back to her face and the light return in her eyes. The Minmei I knew was coming back.

"Rick," she says, "I know this may be out of the question but may I sing for you and Lisa at the wedding? It would mean the world to me".

"I don't know" I reply wondering what Lisa would think. "I'll have to talk it over with Lisa first".

"Oh! Thank you, Thank you Rick, that's all that I can ask. I know she'll say yes after you talk with her".

She tries to reach through the bars to give me a hug.

I call the Lieutenant back in, he relays to me why Minmei is in there. I ask her if it's true. She doesn't deny any of it. Lieutenant Marks asks if I would like to press charges. I tell him

"No, let her go, she has punished herself more then you or I could".

He lets her out and as soon as the door is open, she launches herself around my neck. The whole time I hear her whispering

"Thank you, Thank you" repeatedly.

As we walk out of the cellblock, I ask her where she is staying in town and she gives me a blank stare. She hadn't thought about that. She was so consumed with confronting me that she never bothered to get a room. I gave her my card and I told her to go to the Macross Grand Hotel downtown. She looks at the card and then back at me in confusion. I answer her obvious question

"I got the promotion a couple of weeks ago as part of my new assignment. Show the card when you get to the hotel and they will take it from there".

The Macross Grand is across the street from Macross Park where the wedding is going to be held. It's where the wedding party is going to stay and where the reception is going to be afterwards. She gives me another hug and scampers off. I walk back out into the reception area of the Provosts office, Corporal Tanner snaps to attention, knocking the same big stack of papers over again. I just shake my head and walk on out the door.

Lisa was waiting with a look of concern in her eyes when I got home. This was the longest we had been apart in the last 2 weeks and to be honest, I had missed her. She rushes up to me and gives me a hug and then she immediately pulls back with a look of suspicion.

"You went and saw Minmei didn't you?" she says accusingly. "I can smell her perfume on you!"

"Yes, I did", I reply, Lisa's glares, "but it's not what you think" I say in protest.

"You better start talking fast mister," Lisa snarls.

I attempt to explain, "Apparently base security found her trying to beat my door down and arrested her. She insisted that she was a friend of mine so they called me in to confirm and to see if I wanted to press charges".

"Well did you press charges?" Lisa asks.

"No" I reply "but it did give me a chance to explain to her what you mean to me and where she fits into my life".

"And where is that" Lisa retorts.

"That she is the little sister that I never had and that nothing more could ever come of it. That I love you and you love me and my future was with you and only you," I say in response.

Lisa was silent for a moment pondering what I said. Then the biggest smile I had ever seen cuts across her face. She leaps into my arms, giving me a big kiss and hug. Then I hear her whisper in my ear

"I love you Rick Hunter, I love you, I love you".

My heart soared at hearing those words again.

Later that evening we were having a quite dinner together. I decided this was the time to broach the subject of Minmei singing at the wedding.

"So how are the plans for the wedding coming along?" I ask trying to ease into the subject.

"We have everything set except for a soloist for the ceremony. The one that we picked out isn't available on such short notice." Lisa said with a bit of exacerbation. This is a little too convenient, I think to myself.

"So what are you going to do?" I ask.

"I'm hoping that you might have a suggestion," she said with a wink.

"Well," I replied, "I do have one but I don't know if you will go for it".

"It's O.K.," she states", when you were getting a shower before dinner I got a surprise phone call. It was Minmei. She told me all about what happened this afternoon and she just couldn't wait any longer to find out. I already told her that she could".

A flush of relief came over me. This was a conversation that I wasn't looking forward too. Minmei in her impatience had taken care of it for me.

"I was wondering when you were going to bring it up" Lisa said, smiling and giggling a little. "I knew you were going too soon because you started to squirm in your seat a little. You were contemplating how to bring up the subject; by the way you did very well".

Has she got me figured out already? Of course, she sees me everyday and has for a long time. She is one of the best Combat Air Controllers out there and she would have learned my simple cues a long time ago. I simply stare at her in total amazement. Not only is she beautiful but brilliant and understanding too.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The following 3 weeks fly by and the wedding was in just 2 days, giving us enough time for a short honeymoon and then settle into the SDF-2 before its departure. As a result, we were busily moving all that we could onto the SDF-2 in preparation. Max and Miriya had already moved and they were now helping Lisa and I consolidate our vast belongings.

"For being a military woman all her life Lisa certainly has a lot of stuff!" Max exclaims as he surveys the number of boxes that were stacked up on the front lawn.

"Well Max, it isn't all hers. I moved all of my belongings here last week, but you are right, she does have quite a bit," I say while setting down another box.

"Who's getting your house?" Max inquires.

"Minmie," I say matter-of-factly, "she decided that living in hotel room after hotel room was getting too stressful. She is still planning to perform but she is going to slow down her schedule a bit and actually take some time off".

"That's good," Max, replies", maybe she'll finally find somebody. Which did you hear that Lynn Kyle is missing?"

"No, I hadn't" I say in surprise.

Max continues, "After Minmei decked him at the press conference, he drove off and no one has seen or heard from him since!"

"Gee, that's too bad", I say sarcastically.

Max and I continue to load boxes while Lisa, Miriya, and little Dana are sorting what to keep and what to toss. Dana gets to do the tossing, which she just loves. You can hear her giggle every few minutes as something else comes flying out the door and into the trash. After several hours of labor intensive work, Max, and I finish loading the cargo transport with all the boxes. Max looks over the now heavily laden vehicle and shakes his head.

"Good thing you and Lisa are Admirals now. You're going to need every bit of space they give you", he says with a chuckle.

I have to agree with him, even with selling all the furniture and giving away or throwing out anything else that we didn't need, we still had a whole lot of stuff. However, when you're packing for a trip that could last 30 years or longer, some things tend to take on a little more value then they normally would have. We walk back into the house and it's bare from wall to wall. Lisa and I will be staying at the hotel until the honeymoon. When we return we will be going straight to the SDF-2. I can't help but feel a little loss at seeing Lisa's house this way. Even though I have only spent a short amount of time here, there have been some really good memories and everything feels out-of-place. Now we have the opportunity to make some new memories, together.

Max and I help finish cleaning up and then we all make our way to the hotel. Little Dana is an energetic child and she amuses us as she literally runs circles around us as we walk. The sun is starting to set and the air is a little brisk but not to cold for walking, Lisa and I are holding hands strolling while Max and Miriya are ahead of us with Dana running in between. Lisa sighs and wraps her arm around my waist.

"Do you want children?" she asks out of the blue.

"I do, eventually, why do you ask?" I respond wondering what she means.

"Oh, I was just wondering. I want children and I thought that I had better find out if the man I'm about to marry wanted them too".

She gives me a gentle squeeze and we continue walking. Something about what she said started me thinking. Of all the conversations we have had, this one hadn't come up. I had always thought of her as a career woman and that children would be the last thing that she would want. What changed? I guess that isn't important right now. Children will come when their ready whether we are or not.

We get to the hotel and get ourselves cleaned up. The wedding rehearsal and dinner is tonight. It's amazing how quickly Lisa got everything set up. Granted we used a planner but even so, every wedding I had ever been involved in, other then Max and Miriya's; had taken months to plan. Lisa really is amazing. The rehearsal went off without a hitch and we even heard a new song by Minmei, she had written it just for us. It was beautiful and was the high point of the evening. Afterwards we had dinner at La Fu Frog, a French restaurant at the hotel. I'm not a big fan of French food but this wasn't too bad. We retired early, we were all wore out from the day and we had to do it again tomorrow only in reverse onto the SDF-2.

Lisa had seemed distracted all evening but never said what was bothering her. With all the activity, I neglected to ask her. Just after settling into bed and turning out the light, I hear Lisa crying, I rollover to face her,

"What's a matter baby?" I ask with concern and sympathy.

She smiles at the comment "I'm just so happy", she says, "we will be husband and wife in a little over 24hrs and the reality of it is just sinking in. This has been a dream of mine for so long Rick. I have loved you for a very long time and now all my dreams are coming true at the same time. It's a little overwhelming, because it is," she continues with hesitation "all of my dreams Rick, all of them . . . I'm pregnant".


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Pregnant!" Max exclaims.

"She told me last night Max, I'm going to be a Papa," I say beaming.

"That's why she was so out of sorts last night at the rehearsal then." Max replies. I continue,

"She had just found out that morning. By the way, Miriya already knows. Lisa said that is all they talked about yesterday while we were slaving away outside."

"Well that puts a whole new perspective on things doesn't it skipper" Max interjects.

"It certainly does Max", I reply

Max has called me Skipper ever since I was assigned to fly Skull 1 and took command of Skull Squadron. It's rather ironic though. Max is now commanding Skull Squadron and so he is technically the "Skipper" but ever since that day, he has called me that. It has spread through ranks as well. In fact, most of the pilots call me that and even some of the new recruits. I'm almost willing to bet that they know me by that name before they know my real one. I don't mind though. It's a sign of affection and respect from the men, so I don't stop them. I still fly Skull 1 and I take overall command when I'm in the fight but I'm bogged down with paperwork anymore and so I don't fly as often as I used to. When Max took over the position, I offered him Skull 1 but he declined stating that it was my plane and I should fly it. He and Miriya now fly the VF-1S2, a variant of the same airframe the Skull 1 is based on. The VF-1S2 has more power and a little more armor as well as better avionics but they are essentially the same and I can out fly anyone in a VF-1S2 with the Skull 1 except for Max and Miriya. I never really could do that, even with superior equipment.

We continue off loading boxes from the cargo transport onto a conveyor belt that stretches from the shuttle bay of the SDF-2 to our living quarters. We don't have to do this but I prefer handling my own stuff. Of course, Lisa and Miriya, on the other end, have help since she is in a delicate condition but they are there to supervise.

"Well Skipper, are you ready for tonight?" Max asks.

"What about tonight?" I ask in return.

"Your Bachelor party of course" Max says rhetorically.

I had totally forgotten. Once we were done here, I wasn't going to see Lisa again until tomorrow at the wedding. Max & Claudia had been planning the whole thing. When we finished here, I was to go with Max to the hotel. Lisa was to go with Miriya to Claudia's. From there who knows, it's all been a secret.

We finally finish off loading the boxes. To catch a few moments rest, Max and I decide to ride the conveyor belt instead of walking all that way to my quarters. It was a lot longer journey then I thought, about 10 minutes. Someone must have tipped off Lisa and Miriya because just as we enter the family berthing area the belt stops and we get drenched by buckets of water. I hear the unmistakable giggle of one, Dana Sterling and the outright belly laugh of Lisa and Miriya. Max and I were soaked to the bone. After gathering our wits, Max and I launch our assault. He takes on Miriya and I Lisa. We tickle, poke, and laugh until we can laugh no more. Miriya and Lisa mock beg for mercy and Max and I decided they have suffered enough for there indiscretion. I pull Lisa close to me, hold her tight, and give her a long passionate kiss. Max does the same with Miriya. After Lisa pulls away slightly she exclaims,

"I should do that more often!" then returns to kissing me.

We are so happy; I have never felt this way before. Everything is finally, where it should be. The holes in my life are filled with the love of a woman and the child she now carries inside her. Our child, how wonderful that sounds, how much joy it brings to my heart.

After several moments, I hear max clearing his throat in an attempt to get our attention. I look over at him while still kissing Lisa.

"Save some for the wedding will ya," Max says while chuckling.

We release from the kiss, Lisa seems a little woozy but stable. We give our hugs good bye,

"I will see you tomorrow my love", Lisa says,

"And I you, my beautiful bride" I reply.

Lisa blushes at that remark. I watch Miriya grab Lisa's hand and shuffle off down the passageway headed towards Claudia's. Max grabs me by the shoulder and escorts me to the hotel. We change and meet the rest of the party in the lobby; I am blindfolded and carried to a waiting limo to celebrate the last night of my single life.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

I awake the next morning in my room at the hotel. How I got there I don't know, the last thing I remember is Commander Charlie Houston (Diablo Squadron leader and pilot of the Diablo 1) handing me some drink called a Kamikaze at a club called Shanghai. That was around 11 pm. It's now 6 am, my head is pounding, and the room is spinning. The wedding is at 9 am I hope I can make it. I gather my wits enough to sit-up. Boy was that a mistake! Now my head feels like I have a full size Zentraedi in full battle gear standing on my head. The room starts spinning faster. I fall out of bed and quickly run for the bathroom, after the long shower, a bottle of aspirin and a gallon of water. I start to pull myself together. I'm glad that the wedding is across the street, any further and I don't think I could make it. Whatever the guys gave me was stout! Max knocks on the door around 7:30.

"You o.k. in there Skipper?" he says.

"Come on in Max, I'm alive but barely, you guys were rough on me last night". I say with a sigh.

Max laughs and looks around to the room. "Shouldn't you be getting ready?" he asks.

"I will in a minute Max, I'm just now getting to the point where I can sit and the room doesn't spin" I reply.

Max laughs again "You were quite the sight last night Skipper; you showed us all how it was supposed to be done".

"What do you mean Max, I don't remember anything after that shot Houston gave me".

"Well sir, let's just say that you have started a new dance craze here in Macross" Max replies.

"Oh, lord, I didn't go out and dance like chicken did I?" I implore.

"No," he replies, "a chicken dance would have been identifiable as a dance".

"Don't tell me anymore, I can only imagine and that's bad enough" I respond.

My head finally clears enough for me to get ready and Max assists. Lisa would kill me if I were late, not to mention the fact that I would embarrass myself even more then I probably already have. Max helps me get down stairs and across the street to the park. Most of the guests have already arrived, the Mayor, most of the United Earth Government council heads and the entire city of New Macross; most of which had come to see Minmei sing. Well, I'm glad we decided on the park. I don't believe there is a hall big enough.

I find where I'm supposed to wait and sit down. My head is still pounding; thankfully, my stomach no longer feels like it's been turn inside out. I watch as guests arrive, there are so many I can't count. It was Lisa's idea to have an open invitation to the citizens of New Macross. Most of them have been under our care for over 5 years now and they represent an extended family of sorts. I guess they feel the same because everything for the wedding and the reception was donated. Even our honeymoon was donated, but neither one of us know where nor what it is. They have been keeping it a surprise. Of course, they asked for our opinions but that was all.

All the guests that can be seated are, finally, and then a small chamber orchestra starts to play. The procession begins first with Sammie Porter and Charlie Houston, followed by Vanessa Leeds and Taylor Allen, Kim Young and Craig Phillips, Max and Miriya Sterling and then Claudia with an usher carrying a picture of Roy. I follow and take my position next to the picture of Roy.

The bridesmaids are in a metallic blue/gray gown and Claudia, as the maid of honor, is in a silver gown with a metallic blue gray sash. The groomsmen wore black tuxedos with matching metallic blue/gray cummerbunds and bow ties. I wore a white tuxedo with tails and a silver cummerbund and tie. This color scheme was to go with picture of Roy in his characteristic black and silver on gray uniform.

Once we were all in position, the music changed to the wedding march. Lisa was on the arm of Admiral Gloval. He was in his white dress uniform and Lisa's dress was white with silver and metallic blue/gray accents. She was beautiful and the air around her seemed to glow with her beauty. All eyes were on her, no one had ever seen someone so beautiful. There progress was slow and methodic, to the pace of the music. From under her veil, I could see her smile. The Admiral stops just before reaching the altar and states his practiced line.

"To you I entrust this woman, may you cherish and love her as I have for the rest of your days".

With that, he takes his place standing to the side and behind Lisa.

Just then, we hear a blood curdling scream come from the back of the crowd and a disheveled man comes running up the aisle. At first I don't recognize him but then it hit's me, it's Lynn Kyle. He has an object in his hand, it's a knife, and he is charging at me.

"You took her away from me!" he screams and strikes at me with the knife.

I manage to dodge the blow but he rears back to strike again. Max, with his quick reflexes tackles Kyle to the ground and knocks the knife out of his hand. The whole time Kyle is screaming,

"You can't have her!" over and over again.

Kyle manages to break free from Max and takes another swing at him. Max dodges the blow and returns with a quick punch to Kyle's throat. Kyle coughs and sputters but regains his composure quickly. Even drunk Kyle is a formidable opponent. By now, security is on the scene and helps tackle him. Kyle struggles to get free but can't, There are just too many of them now. Then Minmei, who was sitting in the front row, stands up and yells

"Kyle stop it, you don't own me; nobody does".

All of a sudden, Kyle stops struggling and looks up at her. He seems dazed and is obviously drunk. His head starts to swivel back and forth, looking at Lisa then Minmei.

"I thought she was you," he says slurring his words.

At that, five security officers pick him up by his britches and shirt then haul him away in a very unbecoming fashion. With that excitement over the ceremony continues.

After Lisa and I exchanged our vows but before we exchanged rings, Minmie sings. At the conclusion of the song, Lisa and I exchange rings, I lift her veil; she is so beautiful. Then the words we had been waiting for

"You may kiss the bride".

It was a short kiss, for us at least but we needed to get things moving along. The incident with Kyle had delayed us by about half an hour. Then I hear the greatest thing in my entire life to that point. The preacher said,

"Ladies and Gentlemen may I present, Rick and Lisa Hunter!"

A boisterous cheer and clapping came up from the crowd and then fireworks. Lisa and I duck when the first one goes off, neither of us knew about them, another surprise from Max and Claudia apparently.

We run the gauntlet of flying birdseed to a waiting horse drawn carriage and spirited away. Even though the reception is across the street, we needed time for the guests to migrate there. We also wanted some alone time, to reflect.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

It was a warm spring day with the smell of flowers in the air. Lisa was glowing with joy and I was in shock. The woman of my dreams is by my side as my wife. What an incredible thought, what an incredible feeling. I never knew that I could be this happy. Why did it take me so long to come to this? I knew in my heart for a long time, ever since that evening after Little White Dragon when Lisa and I were trapped during the transformation but I was too infatuated with Minmei and too scared to admit it. How could I have been so dumb? Of course, Lisa didn't make it that easy either so I guess we are both at fault for this taking so long. That doesn't matter now, we've moved on from there. Today is a new beginning; today we face the world together. Never again will we be alone in the cold. It's hard to believe that it has only been a few short weeks since Lisa and I came to an understanding of each other, admitting how we truly felt about each other. Did we act too quickly? Did pending events cause us to be too rash? I say no to both. I proposed to Lisa without knowing that we would be getting the SDF-2. We planned that night to marry soon, Admiral Gloval just helped us set the date. I have loved Lisa for a very long time and she me. We know each other better then anyone else living or dead. Our souls have called out to each other and we finally heard them.

Sitting in the carriage, holding Lisa's hand and waving at the occasional passersby, I'm lost in my thoughts.

"Rick . . . Rick" Lisa says bringing me out of my trance. "You seem a little distant, is everything O.K.?"

"I'm just trying to absorb everything that has happened over the last few weeks, I'll be alright" I respond. Then I add "but I do know one thing, this is the happiest I have ever been in my entire life".

"Me too" she responds with a tear in her eye.

I wrap my arm around her and give her a kiss. We snuggle against each other and spend the rest of the trip lost in one another. There was no one else but her; no one else that I cared for as deeply. She has become my life and part of my soul. Sitting here, holding her, feeling the warmth of her skin and the softness of her hair, I suddenly remember what she carries inside her, our child. The ultimate expression of our love was growing inside her belly. The thought of it brought a smile to my face.

"Do you want a boy or a girl?" I ask her unexpectedly.

"I don't care," she replies "All I know is that it is ours and that is enough for me".

She sighs and holds me a little tighter. I squeeze back.

After about an hour, we return to the hotel for the reception. The crowd outside had dissipated somewhat but there were still quite a few hanging around to catch a glimpse of Minmei. The reception was for invited guests only due to the limited room but there were still a lot of people there. We entered the banquet hall to cheers and a band playing. The cake was modeled after the SDF-2 with the SDF-1 standing behind it representing moving forward.

It was getting towards the end of the evening, and it was time to announce where the honeymoon was going to be. Everyone hushed in the hall and a drum roll played. The DJ opened an envelope and pulled out a small piece of paper. He read it silently and then waited to build the suspense. After a few moments, he said,

"Our Happy couple is going to an all expense paid super luxury resort on the island of Maui".

(Hawaii was one of the few places that survived the "rain of death", even though Honolulu was destroyed; the rest of the islands weren't considered an important enough target.) Everyone cheered and congratulated us.

We were to leave immediately, fortunately we had prepared for this eventuality. We were rushed out the door to a waiting car with an escort of battloids from Skull Squadron. When we arrived at the airbase, Admiral Gloval was waiting for us by my plane. He had some final words for us before we departed

"Lisa, even through you are not my daughter, I think of you as one. I am so proud of you and I am glad to see that you have finally found happiness".

Then he addressed me "Rick, you have been a courageous and caring leader of men and now you embark on your toughest journey, to be a caring, devoted, and loving husband and father. You will be leading not just your family but will be the steward and protector to thousands. I know that you are up to the task and that it was divine providence that you two should find each other before embarking on this journey".

Then he spoke to both of us "You have all of our hopes and hearts riding with you. I am proud of you both".

He then shooed us onto the plane. Lisa watched out the window as we taxied toward the runway. The Admiral stood as sentry, guarding our departure. He saluted as we started our takeoff; Lisa saluted back with tears streaming down her face. Once we were airborne, I circled the field once, wagging my wings to say goodbye. Then I turned our heading toward Maui. I pushed the throttle as far as it could go. It was five days with no one but Lisa and the sooner we got there the longer we had together.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

It was five wonderful days, sun, sand, surf, and my beautiful bride by my side. No one calling us in the middle of the night; alerts to respond to or reports to fill out; we would have stayed there the rest of our lives. However, we both had duties to attend to and that reality set in as we flew home. It was a cloudy day and the normal heat of the sun wasn't present in the cockpit so Lisa had decided to sit the front with me on the way home. It was a little cramped but I didn't mind. She laid her head on my shoulder and slept. Her arms wrapped around me and her legs curled up into her chest. Only the sound of the wind and the dull roar of the engine could be heard.

Flying had always been my escape from the world but there had always been that still quite voice reminding me of what was below and what I had to face when I returned to earth, never allowing me to escape completely. Now, as we soar across the sky, Lisa snuggled into my lap, that still small voice is silent, content in the knowledge that my soul has found peace. This is what I have always wanted, what I have searched for all my life. My soul had yearned to be complete, a part of it had been missing, and through the grace of God, we found each other. Now we are whole, never again to part.

I could continue flying like this for the rest of my life; however, fuel is running low so I change course to land in Monument City to refuel. Lisa awakens just before touchdown and kisses me on the cheek. Raindrops begin to hit the windshield as we taxi to the terminal. This would be a quick stop; New Macross is only another hour by air, then we would be home, ready to start our new life and a new mission. Lisa sleepily crawls off my lap and out of the plane and I follow. Lisa wasn't heavy but it felt good to get out and stretch. As soon as I had hooked up the fuel lines, Lisa grabbed my hand and we walked to the cafeteria. It was small and not very well lit but we were both starved. I order a couple of burgers and a large soda. Lisa picks a secluded corner booth. She obviously wasn't ready for the honeymoon to end yet either. I bring over the piles of fried grease that they called burgers and set them down on the table. Lisa sits there, looking at me with her big green eyes, and smiles. I knew why she smiled; I knew what she was trying to say with out her speaking it. I could almost read her thoughts "toss the burgers Hunter" was the message I received. So, I threw them out and we sat and sipped our soda together while we waited. We didn't say a word, none had to be spoken; we knew what the other was thinking and we would giggle with every look or touch.

After about half, an hour the Mockingbird 2 was refueled and ready to go. I climbed in and Lisa resumed her spot in my lap. It was raining harder now so I would have to be extra careful during take off. We taxied to the runway, got clearance and I slammed the throttle forward, pinning Lisa to me and me to the seat. The plane lurched and skidded on the wet pavement and then it slowly began to rise from the earth. Once we were clear, I pulled the nose straight up and we shot like a rocket through the clouds. I was tired of the clouds and rain and I was determined to find the sun again. Our last hour of peace needed to be perfect. It took a few minutes but we broke through the clouds into the bright sun and blue sky. Below us, the clouds looked like big cotton balls laced with silver and blue. Then I turned towards home, back towards reality.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

We arrived in a downpour. I had to use my instruments I couldn't see anything. We touched down safely but it was a little rough. The wheels of the plane skidded a little and hydroplaned until our speed slowed. We taxied back to our privet hanger where Miriya was unexpectedly waiting for us. Lisa and I crawled out of the Mockingbird 2 thankful to be back on the ground. The last 20 minutes had rattled our collective nerves. As soon as Lisa had touched the ground, Miriya came running toward her, crying. Miriya collapsed on Lisa and just held her, sobbing. Puzzled, I asked what was wrong. Miriya pulled back from Lisa, regained her composure, and looked more like the proud Zentraedi warrior that she was. She then snapped to attention and saluted.

"Sir and Ma'am I have unfortunate news to report, the SDF-1 and the SDF-2 have been destroyed". Miriya said matter-of-factly and then broke down again. Lisa and I just stood there in shock.

How could that happen? Both of them destroyed? Did the Zentraedi fleet return? All of these questions and more ran through our heads. Then Miriya pulled herself together again and through the sob's she told the story of the previous day.

"Yesterday Evening, Khyron attacked. It was a suicide mission. He put his battle cruiser on a collision course with the SDF-1. The SDF-2 was destroyed before getting a shot off and the SDF-1 was only able to cripple Khyrons cruiser with its final blast from the main guns. Khyrons cruiser slammed into the SDF-1 destroying most of the ship and killing nearly all onboard. Max is severely injured and in the ICU, as a result, I have been in charge of the clean up and rescue efforts. I felt it was necessary, before you were overwhelmed with people, for me to tell you that you and Rick are now the ranking officers in charge of the RDF. The only flag officers remaining are Colonel Emerson and General Leonard. Everyone one else was in a meeting with Admiral Gloval when the attack happened and were unable to escape. The General is in South America currently and cannot be reached. He is unaware of the catastrophe".

At this point, she began to weep and her words stuttered. "Max led the Veritech squadrons valiantly but was caught in the explosion of the colliding ships. He was trying to save the SDF-1 but failed."

Then she collapsed to the floor sobbing. Lisa immediately stooped down to consol her; I on the other hand was trying to absorb all that had been said. Lisa and I were now the 2nd and 3rd most senior officers in the entire RDF and with General Leonard unaccounted for that put Lisa and I in-charge. Outside the rain was getting harder and lightning was starting to flash, echoing the turmoil-taking place around us.

Lisa and I gathered our things and took Miriya to the hospital so she could be with Max. Little Dana was being watched by Minmei of all people. Apparently, Minmei had taken charge of finding and taking care of the lost and displaced children since the attack. She had always loved kids and had taken care of her cousin Jason when she lived with her aunt and uncle. I was glad to hear that she was being responsible and not the whinny little girl she once was.

We made our way to what was left of the base to survey the damage. The SDF-1 was a wreck, a mere shell of what it once was and scattered about filling the lake was the remains of Khyrons cruiser and the SDF-2. Everything was gone that we had was onboard the SDF-2. We would have to start over but we were used to that now. Suddenly I hear Lisa start to cry. I hate it when she cries. It reminds me of just how helpless I am at times. Lisa turns away from the sight and falls into my chest. I wrap my arms around her and whisper,

"It will be alright".

She looks up at me with a knowing look and smiles. Then she says,

"I know everything will be all right as long as I'm with you".

Then she held me tight as we stood there in the rain taking it all in.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The following week was a blur of activity. Appointing new officers and cleaning up from the disaster. The funerals for the bridge crew would be in another week, once the bodies were decontaminated of the fuel, radiation, and proto-culture from the reflex furnaces of the respective ships. General Leonard was still in South America and members of the United Earth Government were arriving daily to inspect the damage and grill Lisa and me on how "WE" were going to fix things. It was a nightmare, but eventually things started to calm down. The citizens of New Macross had become quite adept at rebuilding in their years aboard the SDF-1 and then dealing with the frequent uprisings of the various assimilated Zentraedi, micronized or otherwise.

Max had come out of his coma but was having memory problems and was undergoing therapy. Miriya would be by his side every step of the way. Who would have ever thought that Miriya Pirano Sterling, Captain of the elite Quadrono Squadron and the greatest of all Zentraedi warriors, could be a doting, dedicated wife, and mother? It was all because of love. She had found her match in Max both mentally and physically. They were truly equals and now as Max healed; she is using her strength to help him in whatever way she can.

Then there is Minmei who is no longer the child seeking attention but has become a strong and courageous woman. Taking on the responsibility of caring for hundreds of children while their parents rebuild there lives. Fortunately she has had help, controlling that many children can be a battle too.

We started construction of the SDF-3 by salvaging what we could from the wrecks of the SDF-1, SDF-2 and Khyron's battle cruiser. The UEG council had decided that Lisa and I were to continue with our original mission and that recently promoted General Emerson would take over until General Leonard's return. That meant there was a split between the defense forces, Lisa and I are in charge of the Robotech Expeditionary Force and General Emerson is in command of the United Earth Forces abolishing the RDF. General Leonard, upon his return, will become the Supreme Commander of all earth forces.

The many funerals of the next week were a drain both emotionally and physically. To see all of our friends and comrades that had fought alongside us for so long laid to rest was almost unbearable. Some of the crew was buried in effigy because their bodies were too contaminated to be removed from the wreckage.

Once everyone that could be retrieved and whatever materials we could salvage were removed from the site, we had it buried. It was soon discovered that the radiation from the site was too great and that the city of New Macross would have to be abandoned. Lisa and I moved to Monument city and started to prepare anew for what is now called the Pioneer mission.

Life was attempting to return to normal, one day at a time.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

On a Friday afternoon, 5 months after Kyhrons attack, we got the news. Lisa was so excited; she called me from the doctors' office.

"Rick!" she said, "It's a boy! Isn't that wonderful!"

I was speechless; we had both wanted a boy but would have been just as happy with a girl but we had been blessed with a boy.

"Are you sure?" was all that I could muster.

"Yes!" she said. "The Sonogram was very clear, aren't you happy?"

"Yes, I am" was all I could reply.

Every memory of my father and Roy when I was a boy went through my head; how much time we had spent together working on the old bi-planes we used in the circus and all the time on the road going to shows. By the time, I was 6 I was a better mechanic then most people 3 or 4 times my age and by the time I was 7 I was flying solo in the shows. I was born to fly, that is what my father always said. He was so proud of me; he always said that he had never seen some one who could fly as naturally as I did. The only person better then I was Roy. After my crash, he had left the circus and joined the Service. He was only 17 but he was made an officer and became one of their best pilots.

Roy was my friend and mentor. Pop had always been there for me and spent as much time with me as possible but he had a business to run and 4 other young pilots to be a father to as well. Roy was the oldest of the pilots and he took me under his wing early. My first memories were of Roy, he was the big brother that I never had. He was the one that taught me to fly, sure, pop had shown me the basics, but Roy was the one who taught me how to feel the plane. Not how to just fly the plane but do it without my thinking about it. He taught me how to make the plane an extension of my own body. Even now, I credit him with making me the pilot I am today. With out knowing it he had prepared me for piloting a Veritech, a machine that responds to your thoughts. After Roy, left for the service I took over the lead in pop's show. We always hoped that Roy would some day return. He did from time to time but it became less and less frequent. Then Roy got involved in the Robotech project and the SDF-1 on Macross Island, he never came back. My father never forgave him for that. Roy was like a son to him, all of his pilots were, but Roy was special to him, he had been his first prodigy. Roy's parents were air show performers as well but had been killed a car accident so pop's brought him into the family when he was only 6.

Pop had been amazed at how quickly Roy picked up the skills necessary in order to fly a plane and how nonchalantly he took to the danger. Roy soon surpassed my father in skills and risk that he would take. Nothing seemed to faze him. I would watch in awe, as Roy would perform barrel rolls only a few feet from the ground and then loop straight up into the sky as a rocket. He was performing a beautiful and intricate dance and the sky was his stage. Roy was my hero, after every flight I would run out to him and he would scoop me up and place me in the cockpit with him. He would always say "Here you go little brother, show me how I did that". I would put my hands on the controls and move them according to how I thought it went. Roy would gently correct me as I went along if I made an error. Pop's planted the seed of flying in my blood but Roy nurtured it and made it grow.

When I was 11, I started competing in amateur flying contests. By then Roy was in the service and wasn't coming home very often. Pops would come to the shows every now and then but I was mostly on my own. I won every one that I was ever in, including the World's championship. I got to the point that I wasn't flying in Pop's air show anymore and I spent all my time practicing for the contests. Pops didn't mind because at least I was home every week. I would write to Roy and tell him what I was doing and he would write back with more ideas I could try to explain how I could perform the maneuvers. The letters dried up after a while. I would write him but he wouldn't respond except on rare occasions. I knew he was busy with the war and then the Robotech project. He was my big brother and I would always love him and forgive him.

Now I have a choice to make, I am having a son and I have massive responsibilities to the REF. Do I want to do to my son what my father did to me? I want to be more like Roy and make time to be with him. I know the answer to that question, just fulfilling that answer is going to be a challenge.

I came out of my thoughts to Lisa hanging up the phone. Did she even say good-bye? I decide that I have worked enough for today.

"Lt. Rawlins", I say over the intercom to my secretary", Cancel all my appointments and hold all my calls. I'm going home for the day".

She responds with a quick "Aye, Aye".

I clear my desk and leave my brief case behind. This is a day to celebrate, I am not going to let "work" interfere; my wife and son are the most important things to me now. The SDF-3 and the REF will just have to wait.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Lisa had just gotten home when I arrived. I had made a stop by the florist on the way and picked up a dozen roses, not red but a hybrid called Fire and Ice. They had a deep red interior petal with a pure white almost blue exterior petal. They were Lisa's favorite.

She was busy putting away groceries and muttering to herself but I couldn't tell about what. I surprised her from behind with a kiss on the cheek and wrapping my arms around her belly. She almost came out of her skin; she wasn't expecting me to be home for several more hours. She almost got mad and then I presented her with the flowers and her anger turned into a smile. She took the flowers and breathed them in deeply and then she looked at me and grinned again. She found a vase, filled it with water, and placed the flowers in it. Once that was done, she came over and launched herself into my arms and whispers in my ear "I knew you weren't an insensitive buffoon, thank you, there beautiful". She then pulled back and asked why I was home so early. "I'm sorry about earlier" I replied, "I was just in shock. That's why I came home early. We need to go out and celebrate tonight". We invited Max and Miriya to join us. Instead of cooking, we decided that a quite candle light dinner was more in order. We made reservations for 7:30 pm at one of Lisa's favorite restaurants. A little place called The Classic Cup. It was a quaint bistro just off the square near the center of town.

In the meantime, Lisa and I spent the afternoon decorating the baby's room. We had waited until we knew exactly what sex the baby was before we did. Lisa and Miriya had almost bought out the store when they went shopping for baby things a few weeks back and so we had broad selection to choose. Of course, our main theme was blue with little stars and hearts. Lisa loved that pattern; in fact, our room was decorated with a similar pattern only in differing shades of gray and green with touches of pink. Lisa had wanted the room to be pink like her old bedroom had been but I drew the line there. However, she still managed to get some into the scheme. It really didn't look bad though, it kind of fit. While I was fussing with putting together the bassinet, Lisa was hanging the wallpaper. She was so meticulous about it too. She would measure the wall and then cut a piece of wallpaper exactly 4 inches too long. She then would match up every little design on the new piece with the one she had previously hung. Then she would mark the new piece at the top, take it down, and then apply the paste. She would then re-hang the piece of paper being ever so careful to match the seams. After it was aligned to her liking, she would take a roller and roll over the newly hung paper to ensure it was smooth, then and only then, she would trim the excess from the top and bottom. It took her an hour and a half to do one wall but I have to admit it looked good. You couldn't see a seam anywhere but the floor looked like we had just had a New Years Eve party with all the strips of paper lying around. Of course, I didn't have much room to talk; in the time it took her to do one wall, I had barely put half the bassinet together. Who designs these things? My Veritech is less complicated! I decide to leave the basinet as it is and persuade Lisa to call it quits for the day. We got ourselves cleaned up and then headed for the restaurant.

When we got to the restaurant Max and Miriya were waiting. The restaurant was empty! Apparently, Max had decided to reserve the whole place for the evening after we had talked with them. I hate to think of what he spent to do it. We were then escorted to our table by the maitre d'. The table was set with candles and fine china. There was a bottle of white wine chilling and a fresh, warm baguette setting off to the side. Lisa and I came here often but had never seen this kind of service. We took our seats and immediately starting talking about the baby. It was a wonderful evening of food and friends. Talking, laughing, and telling stories. The entire wait staff was at our beck and call. I could be really spoiled by this, I thought.

Towards the end of the evening, the mood turned a little serious. Lisa and I had never been very religious and for that matter, neither had Max and Miriya but we had decided to ask them to be the godparents of our child. Max was ecstatic and Miriya was a bit confused. She had no idea what a godparent was. Max explained as best he could and after that Miriya could barley contain herself. She said it was the greatest honor she had ever been bestowed. Max and Miriya had always been a part of our family but now it would be official.

It had started raining during dinner, I had Lisa wait for me at the door, and now I had to scurry to the car. It was a typical spring storm, lots of thunder and lightning and bouts of heavy rain. I pulled up to the door and Lisa quickly got into the car. Even soaked she was beautiful, the green of her eyes really stood out. It started to rain harder and the noise on the roof was almost deafening. More thunder roared and then the distinct ping of hail could be heard. The entrance to the restaurant was on a busy street so I decided to wait until the rain slowed before pulling out. I never had a chance, after setting there for a few minuets; I saw headlights directly behind us. They were moving fast and swerving. The car slammed into the back of ours at nearly 50 mph launching our car into the nearby intersection where we were t-boned on my side by another car. We went spinning into the curb and the oncoming traffic. Everything became a blur and the only thought I could muster was for Lisa and our yet to be born son. I blacked out before we had stopped moving, Lisa screaming my name rang in my ears. "I love you Lisa" was my final thought.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

I awoke to Lisa holding my hand. She looked disheveled and tired. She had been crying. I tried to sit up but couldn't, that's when I realized that I couldn't feel my legs and I had a brace from the middle of my back down to my toes. All I could do was squeeze Lisa's hand to let her know that I was there. Her eyes brightened, reacting to my squeeze. She had not noticed I had opened my eyes. Her gaze focused on mine and tears begin to flow down her face. I was intubated, so I held her hand tightly, and closed my eyes. It felt good to have her near me. I wanted to hold her and whisper in her ear how much I loved her but this would have to do for now. Some how Lisa had come out with only a few scratches, I had taken the blunt of the damage. Did the baby survive? I opened my eyes again and tried to reach for Lisa. My arm felt like it weighed a million pounds and all I could do was lift my finger to point to her belly. Lisa, noticing, smiled and nodded her head, then leaned down and whispered,

"Everything is all right, the baby is fine".

I sighed with relief at the news and closed my eyes again. It had taken every ounce of strength I had to do that. Why am I so weak? In addition, why can I not feel my legs? Will I fly again? I cannot give up flying; I belong in the sky! Then I felt myself slipping past the bounds of this world and I fell into darkness.

My mind raced through images of friends lost and long forgotten. Then they blurred into a mix of old and new. Some I could recognize instantly, others I knew I had never seen before in my life. Images of strange worlds and even stranger creatures, I dreamed of a world covered with little pink flowers and a crab like monster forcing people to harvest them. I dreamt of a strange world where everything was perfect, almost magical, but then the monster would return and destroy everything. Then I heard the sound of a small child, I could not tell what was being said at first but slowly it became clearer. The child is weeping. A small girl in a field of the same small pink flowers had been forced into slavery by the monster. She is wearing rags and her hands are calloused and raw. Then the monster devoured her and the field of flowers. There was nothing left but emptiness and black. The monster had vanished. I could hear the muddled voices of people chanting. What were they saying? The voices grew louder and louder, rising into a cacophony of noise. Louder and louder, it grew until my ears were throbbing. I couldn't stop it. The noise just grew louder and louder. I could feel it reverberate through my body. Then all of a sudden, it stopped. I was alone in the darkness of my mind and then what the voices had been saying became crystal clear to my thoughts. The Invid were coming. Who are the Invid? I asked myself. Is it that monster? Are they coming here? How do I stop them? My mind was full of questions. Finding no answers my mind quieted itself and I found peace.

I started to stir from my troubled slumber and I could feel the warmth of Lisa lying next to me. I slowly opened my eyes to a darkened hospital room. It was late and obviously, Lisa had refused to leave my side. She had laid her head on my shoulder and had wrapped her arms around me. I could still feel the cold metallic brace around my body but I could at least feel my thighs and knees, which ached from not being able to move for so long. I tried to raise my arm again; it was still difficult but didn't seem as heavy as before. I managed to reach across myself to stroke Lisa's long brown hair. I startled her awake and she looked up at me and smiled. She nuzzled into my neck and gave me a kiss. Then whispered,

"I'm glad you're awake, there is someone I'd like you to meet".

She groggily got out of bed and walked over to a small bassinet against the wall. She picked up a small bundle from the basinet and brought it over to me.

"I'd like you to meet Roy Donald Hunter" she said with a loving tone.

"How long have I been out" I thought to my self. I was still to weak talk. As if reading my thoughts she answered the question.

"You have been in a coma for the last 3 months. Our son was born 2 days ago in the bed next to you. You had been alert enough to ask if the baby was alright the day after the accident but then you slipped into a coma".

I motion in understanding and then pat the brace that encompassed my body from the mid-chest down. She grimaces a little and then lays the baby down on my chest. She crawls back into the bed with me and snuggles up against me. The soft warmth of her body against mine again felt good in contrast to the cold hard steel of the brace. She whispered as to not disturb the baby,

"Your back was broken in the crash but not severely, they had to fuse several vertebrae together to stabilize your spine and the brace is to ensure that no further damage can occur. The brace will be removed as soon as you are able to hold yourself up. The doctors say that your spinal cord was pinched but they expect you to make a full recovery with time and therapy".

At that she laid her head back on my shoulder and placed her arm across me and around the baby. I laid there, taking in the information. I felt a renewed determination growing inside of me. I will walk again, I will run, jump, and play with my son and I will teach him to fly. Just like my father and Roy taught me. I've always said that I belonged in the sky and some day I will return there.

Lisa has been my strength even when I didn't know I needed it and I need it now more then ever. Will I ever be able to repay her for it? I doubt it. For now, I will concentrate on healing. Someday and I hope soon, we will return to the stars and complete the mission that Admiral Gloval gave to us. If the monsters of my dream are real, then its purpose is more important then ever.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The following months were filled with agony as my body fought to heal itself and to retrain the nerves and mussels to work together. I finally went home after 4 months but I still had several more months of daily rehab. I have always been a quick healer but this was proving to be a struggle. You can only imagine my frustration when my brain would tell my legs to do one thing and they would do another. My wiring was crossed and my brain had to learn which was which. Every day I would wake up and try to get out of bed on my own but in the end I would need help. On good days, I could get myself to a sitting position on the side of the bed and then I needed help to get to the wheel chair or walker, on bad days I was lucky to raise my head to call for help. Lisa took a temporary leave of absence to help me recover. She was there for all of it. Coaching me and encouraging me on. Once I was home, she took care of me on the bad days and on the good, she would try to let me be. I know it was tough on her. Not only was she trying to raise our newborn son but take care of me as well.

Max was finally cleared for full duty, had taken over the responsibilities of commanding the REF as well as maintaining the Veritech squadrons. Miriya was commanding Skull squadron and she was assisting Max wherever she could. Construction of the SDF-3 was progressing well and they were starting on some of the support ships. Since I really didn't have much else to do then sit around, I started working on designs for a new fighter. A sleeker more fuel efficient and agile fighter, one that was more attuned to space flight but could also hold it's own in atmospheric conditions. Dr. Lang was kind enough to help me iron out the details but it was primarily my design. I even put together a heavy bomber that could mate with the fighter for greater firepower and range. Of course, it was experimental and would need several revamps before we could get it right but it was something to occupy my time and it helped me feel like I was contributing to the upcoming mission.

I returned to work part time a few months later, almost a year, and half since the accident. My memory of the accident was still a blank. I don't remember much after the initial hit from behind. The rest I have pieced together from what Lisa and the police reports have told me. The driver of the first car was obviously drunk and was killed instantly. No one ever told me who he was; his name had been withheld for some reason. The other people involved had minor injuries; I was the only one who had been seriously hurt. Lt Rawlins would prepare daily briefs for me and the recently promoted Sergeant Tanner would bring them to wherever I may be at the time. Everyone was trying his or her best to get me back into the game. It was all appreciated but I knew that the only one that could get me back up to snuff was me and I was starting to have doubts. Many times after work, I would have my driver take me to the bluffs over looking the city. There I would sit and watch the sky and the city below, imagining myself soaring through the clouds. I wanted to fly but my limbs just weren't responding the way they used to. Yes, I could walk now but with great difficulty and I was a clumsy, not the brisk, precise, and eloquent walk of a fighter pilot. I felt out of control and out of place. Lisa and Max had noticed that I was sinking deeper into depression, so they launched a plan to help bring me out of it.

One morning my driver, instead of taking me to the office as usual, took me to the airfield. Sitting on the tarmac was the Mockingbird 2, ready to go. Max was standing by it, saluting. My driver pulled the car up close and then got out and opened my door. Max hurried over and helped me stand-up.

"What's going on here?" I ask Max.

"Your wife told me that you needed some cheering up! So I thought a spin in the Mockingbird would be a good start," he replied.

"Max, I don't know if I can fly that thing?" I say in protest.

"Sure you can, I'll be in the back seat so don't worry, if you run into trouble I can take over" Max said exuberantly.

I agree to the flight with reluctance. I trust Max but what if I do get into trouble. Will I have the strength to control the plane? He helps me lift myself into the plane and I settle into the cockpit. Just sitting here gets my heart racing. The familiarity of the controls, the smell of the leather seat, how it conforms snugly to my body, I felt at home here. Max crawled into the back seat and closed the canopy. I go slowly through the checklist before moving the plane. It's been over 2 years since I last flew her. I increased the throttle purposefully and started the plane rolling. Then I asked for clearance to taxi onto the runway and take off. A familiar voice echoed back through the radio,

"You have clearance to take off on runway zero-three-five my love".

Lisa was running the control tower this morning. She didn't want to miss my first flight. I could hear little Roy giggling in the background. He was a happy child and even at 10 months old, he had a contagious laugh. I turn the nose of the plane toward the appropriate runway. I could hear Max humming to himself in the back seat. He was enjoying this. We had flown together a lot over the years but never in the same plane. This could be interesting. I finally pull onto the runway and set the brakes. "Let's see if Max likes this" I think to myself. Keeping the brakes locked I push the throttle. The plane starts to vibrate and shake. The engine roared and you could hear it straining against the airframe to be set free. Just when you think the engine was going to push through the cockpit, I release the brakes. We shoot like a bullet down the runway and we are air born almost instantly.

"That wasn't nice skipper!" Max says in protest from the back seat.

He was joking of course. He had seen me do it before but from a distance. It was an old circus maneuver, used to get you in the air on even the shortest of runways. It helped to have a lightweight aircraft though. The Veritech had enough power to perform the maneuver but took a lot more runway to do it because of their weight, it was just better to be in guardian mode for a quick take off. We circled the field a couple of times to get my feet wet and then we climbed. Slowly at first, I didn't want to pull high G's just yet. This is what I had wanted, to be up in the clouds soaring high above the city. Soon we were at about 30,000 ft, gliding through the ether. Lisa came on to my tac-net vid-com, I had it installed after our honeymoon; I didn't want another surprise like that again,

"How is it going dear?" she asked with a smile.

I could see Sergeant Tanner playing with Roy in the background.

"Wonderful!" I replied with glee, "Lisa wants to know how it's going Max?"

There was no response from the back seat. He had gone to sleep. I guess I was boring him. Little Roy was starting to get fussy so Lisa excused herself, clicked off the vid-com and went to attend to him. By now, I was feeling pretty confident, I could feel the strength returning in my legs and the continuous backache that I had dealt with ever since I came home was not as noticeable. I decided it's time to wake up Max. I start climbing again; the M2 was akin to the stunt plane I used to fly but had a pressurized cockpit. Higher and higher I went. Finally, I reach 45,000 ft., just the right height for a corkscrew maneuver. First, I think a couple of loop-de-loops are in order. I push the throttle forward and pull the stick back and the nose of the plane responds in kind. Max is still passed out in the back but he'll wake up soon. The acceleration pushes me back into the seat as we climb and then as we apex I feel the seat pull out from beneath me and then pressed back into it again as we complete the circle. Max didn't react, this time I will have to be a little more aggressive. I pull back on the stick again but much harder this time. The M2 reacted just as quickly, snapping the nose up, jarring Max awake. This time, instead of leveling back out I continue around the apex of the loop and begin spiraling on the down side. I continue this for another 10,000 ft and then level it off again. Max was wide-awake now. He wasn't expecting me to be pulling off old circus maneuvers. I was back in my element

"Hold on Max!"

I shout as I roll the plane on its back and pull the stick back again. This time, instead of climbing, we go into a dive and I spiral the plane the opposite direction. After another 10,000 ft, I level off again. I can hear Max breathing heavily, even though he was an ace pilot he wasn't used to the severity of the maneuvers. I guess it's time to call it quits. I slowly take the plane back towards the airfield. As we make our approach, I want to make one more maneuver. I take the plane low over the runway and push the throttle forward again, increasing my air speed. I touch the wheels briefly to the ground and then rip back on the stick and shoot the plane straight into the air, spiraling as I go. Then I cut the engine and cause a stall. The whole time Max is exclaiming profanities from the back seat. We fall back on our tail for a few hundred feet and then I pull the nose over to gain air speed. I level out about 50ft from the ground and land the plane. Max was white as a sheet. He may have been an ace combat pilot but he was no circus performer. It felt good to get out and do that. It had been a long time since I had able to just fly.

Lisa and little Roy along with Sergeant Tanner were waiting for us as we pulled back into our hanger. Lisa had a look of bemusement on her face. This time I had to help Max out of the plane. He was a little shaky

"Remind me not to do that ever again!" he said jokingly.

As soon as we were settled, Lisa set down Roy and he came toddling over to me,

"Dada, dada" he screamed.

I bent down and scooped him into my arms. I had never felt so alive. I walked with Roy over to Lisa and gave her a big hug.

"Thank you, you helped me find myself again," I say thankfully.

We turn to look at Max, who was still trying to gather his wits. Max looks up at smiles, and us shaking his head in disbelief. Today was a very, very good day.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

That little flight was the push I needed. I felt stronger then ever after that. I dove into the tasks at full speed, pushing up deadlines and production schedules. My nightmare was nagging me in the back of my head. I couldn't shake the image of that monster, devouring everything it came in contact with. I still had no idea if it was real or not but something in my gut told me it was and I had learned to listen to those feelings a long time ago. I even asked Exedore and Breetai if they had ever heard of the Invid, the best that they could come up with was an ancient Zentraedi myth about beings that lived on a plant called the Flower of Life but that was all that they had. They didn't know if it was the Invid or not. The information didn't settle the turmoil inside my head though. I pushed harder to get thing completed, we had delayed for too long now.

I started working from the house instead of the office. This way I could spend more time with Lisa and Roy. I had a command tac-net console installed in my desk at home, which gave me access to every communication line on the planet, and it was secure. I would start around 6:00 am in my pajamas and then around 8:00 I would get dressed. The whole time Lisa and Roy would be coming in and out of the office. Usually around 11:30, Lisa would bring me lunch and we would sit, talk, and enjoy each other's company for a little while. After lunch is when most of my conference calls would take place with various contractors and departments of the REF or with the UEG council, which was fine with me because Roy would go down for a nap about that time. That was when Lisa would get her work done. Now that she was no longer "with child", she was back to full duty status. She had her own little console installed about a week after mine and so we worked together in the afternoons. She was concentrating on staffing the SDF-3 and the various support ships and I was working on getting everything built. From the SDF-3, the support fleet, right down to the mecha and especially the new fighter configuration dubbed the Alpha and its heavy bomber counter part the Beta. It will be another year before the two designs would be ready for production. In the meantime, we were testing out every little component we could for them. It is my intention to use the Alpha/Beta combinations for the primary defense and assault force on board the SDF-3. We would still have to take a few good old fashion Valkyries but the plan is to have the fighters manufactured on board the SDF-3 or other support ship which we cannot presently do with the VF-1's, their just too big. In addition, the VF-1's require huge amounts of fuel that we won't have access too.

Supreme Commander Leonard and General Emerson were busily organizing the Armored Military Police and the Armies of the Southern Cross to handle anything that may come up here at home while the fleet is away. They are also developing and a replacement for the destroids. They are calling it the Spartas. A type of hover tank but it is based on the Veritech design, which has proven to be a sturdy and reliable concept.

Things between Lisa and I weren't as good as they appeared. Because I was working all the time, even though I was home, we didn't get to spend as much time with each other as we had in the past. Our little lunch dates were about it and we were too busy in the afternoons to really talk to each other. It was to the point that we weren't sleeping together. Roy would finally fall asleep around 9:00 or 9:30 and then Lisa would head for bed. I would continue working until 11 or so and then I would go and relax in the living room for a while and watch a little TV. More often then not, I would fall asleep in the recliner. My nightmare would return and awaken me around 4:00 am. I would jerk myself awake and check my surroundings. The house would be silent and dark except for the flicker of the TV. I then would turn the TV off and head for bed but I couldn't sleep. I would just lie there watching Lisa, sleeping serenely. She was so beautiful, I would often stroke her hair, and she would curl up closer to me. However, I still held the vision of the monster and I was unable to close my eyes. The alarm would go off around 5:30am but I was usually up already. Every morning Lisa would come into the kitchen and ask if I had been up all night. I would be at the table sipping my coffee and reading the paper, I would reply with "no" but she knew I was lying. She would shake her head start preparing breakfast.

One morning, when she knew that I hadn't even come to bed, she had had enough.

"You can't keep doing this!" she said as she walked in to kitchen.

I just looked at her briefly and went back to reading.

"Are you going to ignore me?" she exclaimed.

I put down the paper and looked up at her with a befuddled look. She had a scowl on her face and was quite mad. I could see the fire in her eyes. My goofy look didn't help the situation any either, it only made her angrier.

"Rick Hunter, I am talking to you!" she yelled this time "are you trying to avoid me?" she asked.

I could only stutter a "no"; I wasn't prepared for a confrontation this morning. She had a right to be mad though, I wasn't trying to avoid her I just couldn't bare the thought of losing her and being close to her just made that feeling worse, but she didn't know or understand that. I had never told her about my nightly visions and that somehow I knew that I would lose her and Roy if I didn't get the mission started soon. My weak response only frustrated Lisa

"Then what the hell are you doing then?"

It was rare for her to curse so I knew she was mad and hurt. I didn't have a choice. I had to tell her. Will she think I'm crazy? I hope not.

"Lisa", I start, she looks at me as if to say, "Get on with it already".

"Lisa, sit down," I start again "I need to tell you something but you must promise me not to laugh".

This seemed to intrigue her and she pulled up a chair across from me at the table.

"This had better be good Rick," she said with condescension.

I swallowed hard, the image of the monster raced through my mind, how can I tell her, what can I say. A thousand possibilities came to mind; I looked at my wife sitting across from me. I reached out and grabbed her hand. Her look softened a little, it had been a while since we had just held hands. I knew though that I needed to say something soon, she was getting impatient.

"Remember when I was in the coma?" she nodded her head yes. "I had a dream, no, more of a nightmare and a vision rolled into one."

Her look changed to one of compassion but still angry. I continued, telling her about what I had seen and how the nightmare returns every night. How it was the same thing over and over again. Sometimes it was different but the end result was still the same. I told her of how I knew that they were coming here unless I stopped them and that I had to go as soon as possible. I told her of how I feared of losing her and Roy if I didn't succeed and that the mere thought of it tore me apart inside. I told her that because of that fear I had been forced to pull away from her. The pain was just too great. I couldn't tell her much more, by then tears were streaming down my face and I could no longer control the sobbing. I was so tired and I felt so helpless. I couldn't lose her or Roy. They were the most important people in the world to me. They were my life; they were my reason for existence. I let go of Lisa's hand and covered my face. Lisa got up, came over to my side of the table, and wrapped her arms around me from behind. Her warm arms felt good against my cold, clammy skin. Then she kissed the top of my head and whispered,

"It's O.K. I won't laugh, I believe you. Now, you need to go to bed, you're exhausted. I'll see if JoJo can watch Roy for a few hours".

I started to protest but she gave me that look of "you better do what I say" and cut me off. Then she added, "Leonard and Emerson will just have to do without you for a day."

She led me to the bedroom and tucked me in. she then gave me a kiss on the forehead. She exited the room and made a call to JoJo's.

Sergeant Jocelyn "JoJo" Marie Tanner was the only person, besides Max and Miriya that we trusted with Roy. Roy liked to call her JoJo and so did we. She was a young woman, only 16, but was mature beyond her years. JoJo's parents had been killed in Dolza's Rain and she survived the aftermath long enough to find her way to the SDF-1. She had enlisted in the RDF as soon as she was able, hoping to help rebuild a life for herself. After our accident, she was assigned as an assistant to my secretary Lt. Rawlings. As a result, she spent a lot of time with us, running messages and reports. Lisa was the first to notice how lonely she seamed and started to invite her over tea and to talk. JoJo was lonely, she missed her parents, she was only 11 when she lost them and she had no other family. Lisa and JoJo became fast friends and they fell into a sister's type relationship, which was something they both needed. Soon JoJo became a semi-adopted member of our family.

Roy was still sleeping when JoJo arrived. Lisa informed her of what was going on and JoJo understood perfectly. Then Lisa contacted Lt. Rawlings and told her that I was taking the day off. She then came back to the bedroom; I was still awake. She frowned a little but got undressed and crawled into bed next to me. She wrapped her arms and legs around me and buried her face into my neck. Then she whispered so gently

"I love you Rick Hunter and I will always be here for you, don't ever forget that. Don't be afraid to lean on me because I know I lean on you. You are my pillar of strength now let me be yours".

Her words were comforting but the vision was still there. I tried to close my eyes and let sleep overtake me but I knew that I had to face this demon one way or another and until then, it would haunt my dreams.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

I awoke from my troubled slumber to the sound of heavy rain on the roof and the clang of hail against the gutters. The house was dark and empty. Roy was with JoJo and Lisa was at a meeting with Leonard and Emerson. The last 6 months I've been lucky to get out of bed. The stress I had put myself under caused a near nervous breakdown. Today though I had to get up, today was the commissioning ceremony for the SDF-3. Today I am to take my first steps toward facing the demon. Today is my day. I don't care about the rain. Nothing will stop me now.

I shower and put my dress uniform on with a black over coat. I'm still not used to seeing myself in full admirals' garb. I'm a pilot, always have been, always will be. Admirals are not pilots, their paper pushers. That's all I have been for the last 2 years, a paper pusher, a boss, a project manager. I'm really a pilot in admirals clothing, nothing more or rather that's what I want to be. Nevertheless, I can't avoid it any longer. I have to be responsible now. I was always more comfortable with Lisa fulfilling that role.

My driver is waiting when I step outside. He rushes up to the door with an umbrella. I wave him off and step out into the weather. I close my eyes and tilt my head back. I want to feel the rain and cold on my face. I pause for a few moments reveling in the small bits of hail biting into my skin. "Today is my day," I think to myself, "nothing will stop me". I hear the driver clear his throat. He isn't as tolerant of today's weather as I am it seems. I grin a little and get into the car.

We make a beeline for the base. Lisa's meeting is already finished and she will be waiting. As we roll up, I see her slender figure standing under the awning to UEG headquarters. She's smiling, that's a good sign; she must have convinced them to go with our plan. The driver hurry's out of the car and then escorts Lisa back, under the umbrella. She scrambles in and practically giggles as she situates herself. "Went that well I take it?" I ask her. She looks over at me with a grin as big as a Cheshire cat. "Better!" she says with wink. Then she leans over and kisses me, hard! This was a surprise; Lisa has never been this forward. After the kiss, she saddles up to me and lays her head on my shoulder. Then she takes my hand and we interlace our fingers.

I haven't seen her, this happy, in a while. The last few months have been a struggle for both of us. She had to take care of our family as well as take over many of my responsibilities. She has been so supportive though. I couldn't have made it with out her. She won't admit it but she has always been the strong one. I kiss the top of her head with that thought. She responds with snuggling closer to me, her own little way to say I love you too.

The rain continues to fall as we travel to the ceremony. With Lisa bringing the good news that, they are willing to work with our plan I start to feel a bit anxious. The SDF-3 is the largest ship ever constructed by earth and she is going to be landing just out side the city. We are planning to leave immediately after the ceremony for the home of the Robotech Masters. Everything we will ever need is already onboard, including our son Roy. JoJo took Roy there last night in hopes that our plan would be approved. They will be waiting for us when we board.

We pull into the spaceport and towards the grand stands; even in this weather the seats are full. Any of the REF personnel that weren't essential to operating a ship are standing in ranks, according to division, in front of the grand stands. It seems as if they go on forever from our lowered angle in the car. How many people will we be commanding? How many lives are now entrusted into our hands? Hundreds, Thousands? No, hundreds of thousands and possibly millions since we are taking mostly families.

The driver takes us to a small stage and podium in front of the crew and the crowd. The rain has slowed and the sun is trying to peek through the clouds. The driver lets us out and as I reach in to help Lisa the crowd erupts into applause, whistles and screams. The SDF-3 was descending and was breaking through the clouds. It was a beautiful sight, the grand achievement of 2 and half years of work. I felt like a proud papa. Its twin reflex cannon's gleamed as it passed through the sparse rays of the sun. As it descends, a dust cloud forms and its massive size dwarfs the skyline of Monument City. Soon it settles to earth, just beyond the spaceport on the west edge of town. At this moment in time, it is the tallest and largest man made object on the planet.

Lisa steps out and I help her stand. We walk up the short flight of stairs to the top of the podium and take our seats to the left of center, soon there after Supreme Commander Leonard and General Emerson arrived. Emerson sat to the right of center and Leonard took the podium. Now the attention is focused on us.

Leonard begins: "_Today we celebrate the beginning of a new adventure for mankind, an adventure with the gravest of importance." _

I was shocked to hear him say this. As far as I knew, the true purpose of our mission was going to be kept secret until after we left.

Leonard continues: "_The mission of this ship and its crew will be spoken of for years to come and will be reflected in history as one the most ambitious endeavors ever attempted by mankind. For those of you who do not know, all will be revealed in due time. But for now just know, that these fine young men and women of the REF along with their Commanders Rick and Lisa Hunter, are taking upon themselves the greatest of risks for their homes and loved ones. Yes, Ladies and Gentleman, they risk life itself. . . No greater sacrifice can be asked of a person then to be asked to travel into deep space for an indefinite period of time, facing who knows what kind of enemy, in who knows what kind of situation with your family . . . and still do it with zeal. This, my friends, is the true face of courage _(he gestures to the crew)_. Now I would like to turn the podium over to the Commander of the SDF-3 Pioneer, Admiral Lisa Hunter."_

Leonard finished in record time. He isn't known for his "short" speeches. To my relief I knew what Lisa was going to say and that meant we only had 5 more minuets and we would be on our way. Lisa stood up, smoothed out her coat, and walked up to the podium.

"_Ladies and Gentleman of the REF, members of the UEG Council and honored guests. Today we commission into service the first of what we hope will someday be many protectors of life and liberty here on earth. However, our place will not be with you. My crew, along with the rest of the REF, and I are destined for distant shores. Our mission is to take the battle to them and allow our home world the time to heal. When we shall return, nobody knows. Not every one of you that joins us on this journey may ever see our shining blue ball again. Our sacrifice however, is our salvation as well and by the grace of God we will return to our homes safe in the knowledge that devastation upon the scale of Dolza's Rain will never come to bare against us ever again . . . I hereby commission the SDF-3 and name her the UEGS Pioneer. _

That was the cue, every department head and squadron leader brought his team to attention.

"_Commanders, take your stations."_

At the completion of that sentence, every crewmember, officer and enlisted, ran towards the SDF-3. As they approached the SDF-3, entryways opened in the side of her hull allowing the crew to enter. Lisa looked over at me with a worry in her eyes.

"Their coming" I said,

Just as I finished my sentence, the first squadron of Alpha's flew overhead in formation, followed by the first squadron of Betas. These planes were going to be the blue print for the factory buried in the hull of the SDF-3. A smile came across Lisa's face. Everything was ready; she walked to where I was sitting and saluted. I stood and returned the salute. She then leaped into my arms and kissed me. I was a little stunned; it's not like Lisa to show so much emotion in public.

"What got into you?" I ask,

She replies, "Oh it's just that I'm so excited and I also wanted to thank you for insisting that Sergeant Tanner be treated as part of the family".

"Why is that?" I ask,

Unsure of what she means. Then another smile crosses her face and she leans in close so only I could hear.

"Roy is going to have a little brother or sister" she kisses the end of my nose at that.

All I can do is smile and I think to myself, thank god for the rain.

END


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